Passion. Commitment. Respect. No outrage. No clickbait. Just proper Arsenal conversation.
The Non-Negotiables is an Arsenal podcast for supporters who want thoughtful football discussion throughout the season. From Match Previews and Match Reactions to our Week in Football shows, we cover every Arsenal game, the biggest stories from across football, and the tactical, transfer and performance debates that matter most.
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All our links: https://beacons.ai/thennpod
Arsenal return to the City Ground looking to end a run of goalless visits to Nottingham Forest. With Bayern Munich approaching, Gavin and Elliot discuss Arsenal’s attacking rhythm, the challenge of managing minutes and why this trip might prove more difficult than the league table suggests.
Bruno Guimarães or Myles Lewis-Skelly? The midfield selection raises questions about Bruno’s developing partnership with Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori’s workload and what Arteta’s starting XI might tell us about his approach. There’s also Eberechi Eze’s role on the left, competition for places and Mikel Merino’s growing value as an impact substitute.
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s difficult start comes under scrutiny ahead of Coventry’s visit, while Newcastle and Aston Villa provide another intriguing Premier League fixture. The Prediction Game and Who Am I? also return.
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All our links: https://beacons.ai/thennpod
(00:00) - Arteta’s Non-Negotiables & Intro(01:05) - Who Am I?: The Nottingham Forest Connection(02:56) - Predictions: Newcastle vs Aston Villa(08:29) - Tottenham vs Coventry: A Relegation Six-Pointer(12:26) - Tottenham’s £300m Recruitment & De Zerbi(17:03) - Nottingham Forest (A): Breaking the City Ground Deadlock(20:02) - Oliver Glasner, Forest’s Form & Arsenal’s Opportunity(22:56) - Arsenal’s Attacking Spark & Champions League Ambitions(26:36) - Starting XI: Bruno, Lewis-Skelly & Calafiori’s Minutes(31:06) - Bruno Guimarães & Declan Rice: Finding the Balance(33:27) - Eze’s Left-Wing Role & Competition for Places(39:06) - Mikel Merino: Arsenal’s Sixth Man(42:30) - Arsenal’s Best XI & Lewis-Skelly’s Ceiling(45:15) - Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri & Academy Confidence(46:52) - Arteta’s Finishers: Can the Bench Make the Difference?(48:36) - Who Am I?: The Reveal & Football Legacy
14 Oct 2026
E273: "Three in Seven" - Timber, Eze & Saka Strike as Arsenal Cruise Past Lille (Match Review)
Three goals in seven minutes. Three different scorers. Arsenal beat Lille 3–0 at the Emirates, but for over an hour, the question was when — not if — the breakthrough would arrive.
Gavin, Elliot and Justin look back at Arsenal’s Champions League victory, from a rotated starting XI and another slow start to Jurrien Timber’s opener, Eberechi Eze’s finish and Bukayo Saka’s impact off the bench. Is Arsenal’s measured approach a sign of control, or are we making games harder than they need to be?
The conversation turns to Noni Madueke’s best position, Arsenal’s disappearing set-piece threat and a growing offside problem. There’s also praise for Ezri Konsa and Myles Lewis-Skelly, plus a wider question about Arsenal’s football: are we actually boring?
With no separate Week in Football show this week, the lads also unpack Lisandro Martínez’s comments following Manchester United’s Champions League defeat, the problems at Old Trafford and the debate over Michael Olise’s standing among Europe’s elite wingers ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Bayern Munich.
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Follow The NN Pod for more Arsenal and football content.
All our links: https://beacons.ai/thennpod (https://beacons.ai/thennpod)
Chapters:
(00:00) - Arteta's Non-Negotiables & Intro
(01:21) - Starting XI: Five Changes Against Lille
(02:19) - Noni Madueke: Arsenal's Best Left Winger?
(05:47) - Madueke's Ceiling & Arsenal's Left-Wing Options
(11:26) - Arsenal's Slow Starts: Control or Complacency?
(15:50) - Where Has Set Piece FC Gone?
(18:32) - Arsenal's Offside Problem
(20:53) - First-Half Chances: Bruno Guimarães & Mikel Merino
(24:17) - Arteta's Rotation & Substitution Decisions
(27:55) - Second Half: Arsenal Turn Up the Pressure
(30:52) - 1-0 | Jurrien Timber Breaks the Deadlock
(32:02) - 2-0 | Eberechi Eze Doubles Arsenal's Lead
(33:20) - Madueke's Crossing, Saka's Delivery & Eze's Position
(36:15) - 3-0 | Bukayo Saka Completes the Scoring
(38:36) - Max Dowman & Arsenal's Match Statistics
(40:49) - Are Arsenal Actually Boring?
(45:55) - He Said What?: Arteta & Ancelotti React
(48:01) - Ezri Konsa & Myles Lewis-Skelly
(51:54) - Squad Depth & Arsenal's Fixture Congestion
(53:16) - Lisandro Martínez: Manchester United's Problems Exposed
(59:07) - Manchester United's Squad, Transfers & Rebuild
(01:04:16) - Manchester United's Ownership & INEOS
(01:08:28) - Michael Olise: Elite Talent or Overrated?
(01:10:38) - Olise vs Vinícius Júnior
(01:11:15) - Bayern Munich Preview & Outro
Arsenal made hard work of Leeds, but when they finally stepped it up, two goals in eight minutes were enough to turn the game around.
We discuss another slow start, Arteta’s team selection and the substitutions that changed the game. Bruno Guimarães made an immediate impact, Declan Rice came alive in the final half-hour, and Riccardo Calafiori continues to play a role that nobody seems quite able to define.
There’s plenty to debate going forward too. Noni Madueke impressed on the left, but what does that mean for Eberechi Eze? Should Viktor Gyökeres be starting ahead of Kai Havertz? And with Bukayo Saka still searching for his best form, are the concerns justified, or are we expecting too much after just six games?
Three points secured, but another performance that leaves us with plenty to talk about.
Continue the discussion with us.
Follow The NN Pod for more Arsenal and football content.
All our links: https://beacons.ai/thennpod (https://beacons.ai/thennpod)
Chapters:
(00:00) - Arteta's Non-Negotiables & Intro
(01:32) - Arsenal 2-1 Leeds: The Performance Behind the Result
(04:49) - Noni Madueke Starts on the Left
(07:56) - Where Does Eberechi Eze Fit?
(10:20) - Havertz vs Gyökeres: Arteta's No. 9 Decision
(17:02) - Lewis-Skelly vs Bruno Guimarães: The Midfield Selection
(21:31) - Does Bruno Unleash Declan Rice?
(28:43) - Match Review: Arsenal's Slow Start
(35:25) - First-Half Assessment & David Raya
(38:39) - 0-1 | James Justin Puts Leeds Ahead
(40:36) - 1-1 | Riccardo Calafiori Brings Arsenal Level
(43:45) - Calafiori's Freedom: What's His Actual Position?
(47:42) - Arteta's Triple Substitution
(51:03) - 2-1 | Bruno Guimarães Completes the Comeback
(53:34) - Declan Rice's Outstanding Final Half-Hour
(57:30) - Bukayo Saka's Missed Chance & the Form Debate
(01:03:45) - He Said What? | Arteta on Arsenal's Identity
(01:07:05) - He Said What? | Leeds, Madueke & the Substitutions
(01:10:45) - Ben White's Performance & the Right-Back Debate
(01:13:53) - Arsenal's Defensive Changes
(01:16:19) - Lille Preview: Rotation, Selection & Bayern on the Horizon
(01:20:33) - Closing Thoughts & Outro
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
14 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
10 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 56 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
81
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
77
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